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Obama Moves Ahead With US African Command

Concerned over the supply of oil to the US and a supposed need to continue the global 'War on Terror', President Barack Obama has essentially maintained the militarised approach to Africa that was the hallmark of his immediate predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The escalation of AFRICOM (United States African Command) activities underlines a troubling commitment to an approach based on might and dominance, one entirely at the expense of promoting sustainable economic development and democracy.

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The Hypocrisy of Al-Demoqratia

Minaret in Switzerland
So this is how democracy works? In 2004, France banned headscarves and school principals chased after young "defiant" Muslim girls who continued to cover their heads in school. Now, following a national referendum, Switzerland has banned the construction of minarets, because minarets also somehow symbolize oppression. Thanks to the dedicated action of the far-right Swiss People's Party, the Alpine skies will be free from the snaking menace, which would spread intolerance and taint the splendor of Swiss architecture.

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For Europe – Politics is the Economy

Van Rompuy & Ashton
There has been a good deal of ironic comments in the European press concerning the selection of the Belgium Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the European Council President and Baroness Catherine Ashton of Upholland, a life peer, as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. 

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Democracy in Honduras: Chronicle of a Death Foretold

Porfirio Lobo & Hillary Clinton
Before right wing candidate Porfirio Lobo was pronounced the winner of the November 29 elections in Honduras, one senior US official spoke anonymously to reporters of his administration's position on Honduras: "What are we going to do, sit for four years and just condemn the coup?" Instead, Washington offered its pivotal blessing for the elections, allowing a bloody dictatorship to paint itself in a democratic light.